cover image Betty White

Betty White

Betty White. Doubleday Books, $15.95 (201pp) ISBN 978-0-385-23916-5

Calling herself a dedicated ""closet writer,'' actress White, coauthor of Betty White's Pet Love, conveys an endearing zest for life, people and nature in short, ebullient commentaries on both serious and trivial topics that denote sensitivity and the ability to laugh at herself. An ardent animal lover, she actively solicits support for zoos and conservation from her show-business friends. This book of reflections is free of professional pettiness, and she asserts that the Golden Girls actresses are as friendly off camera as on, and so were the Mary Tyler Moore cast members with whom she worked. White's pet peeves encompass sloppy diction, bathroom humor and mirrored sunglasses, and she expresses strong dislike for the blatant sex and voyeurism on today's screens and for ``people who wear grief like a mantle.'' Her reminiscences of her parents and of her former husband, Password host Allen Luddon, are fond. First serial to Redbook. (October 2)